---
title: "Create Manual Traces using Stored Procedures | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "06/13/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2014"
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---
# Create Manual Traces using Stored Procedures
  Microsoft [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] provides [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] system stored procedures to create traces on an instance of the [!INCLUDE[ssDEnoversion](../../includes/ssdenoversion-md.md)]. These system stored procedures can be used from within your own applications to create traces manually, instead of using [!INCLUDE[ssSqlProfiler](../../includes/sssqlprofiler-md.md)]. This allows you to write custom applications specific to the needs of your enterprise.  
  
## In This Section  
 The following table lists the system stored procedures for tracing an instance of the [!INCLUDE[ssDEnoversion](../../includes/ssdenoversion-md.md)].  
  
|Stored procedure|Task performed|  
|----------------------|--------------------|  
|[sys.fn_trace_geteventinfo (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-functions/sys-fn-trace-geteventinfo-transact-sql)|Returns information about events included in a trace.|  
|[sys.fn_trace_getinfo (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-functions/sys-fn-trace-getinfo-transact-sql)|Returns information about a specified trace or all existing traces.|  
|[sp_trace_create (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-trace-create-transact-sql)|Creates a trace definition. The new trace will be in a stopped state.|  
|[sp_trace_generateevent (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-trace-generateevent-transact-sql)|Creates a user-defined event.|  
|[sp_trace_setevent (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-trace-setevent-transact-sql)|Adds an event class or data column to a trace, or removes one from it.|  
|[sp_trace_setstatus (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-trace-setstatus-transact-sql)|Starts, stops, or closes a trace.|  
|[sys.fn_trace_getfilterinfo (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-functions/sys-fn-trace-getfilterinfo-transact-sql)|Returns information about filters applied to a trace.|  
|[sp_trace_setfilter (Transact-SQL)](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-trace-setfilter-transact-sql)|Applies a new or modified filter to a trace.|  
  
 **To define your own trace using stored procedures**  
  
1.  Specify the events to capture using **sp_trace_setevent**.  
  
2.  Specify any event filters. For more information, see [Set a Trace Filter (Transact-SQL)](../../ssms/agent/set-sql-server-alias-for-sql-server-agent-service-ssms.md).  
  
3.  Specify the destination for the captured event data using **sp_trace_create**.  
  
 For an example of using trace stored procedures, see [Create a Trace (Transact-SQL)](../sql-trace/create-a-trace-transact-sql.md).  
  
 **To set trace definition defaults**  
  
 [SQL Server Profiler](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/sql-server-profiler.md)  
  
 **To set trace display defaults**  
  
 [SQL Server Profiler](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/set-trace-display-defaults-sql-server-profiler.md)  
  
 **To create a trace**  
  
 [SQL Server Profiler](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/create-a-trace-sql-server-profiler.md)  
  
 [Transact-SQL](../sql-trace/create-a-trace-transact-sql.md)  
  
 **To add or remove events from a trace template**  
  
 [SQL Server Profiler](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/specify-events-and-data-columns-for-a-trace-file-sql-server-profiler.md)  
  
 [Transact-SQL](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-trace-setevent-transact-sql)